Loose-leaf device



A: M. RABINOF LOOSE Aug. 13, 1940.

LEAF DEVICE Filed Nov. 10, 1935 INVE NTOR Abra/2am l fleab/kw" ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to loose-leaf devices adapted for detachable engagement withsheet inserts. 7

There are many classes of loose-leaf devices,

one of the most recently developed and} most popularly employed types being the helical Wire structure, the outstanding advantages of which are its extreme simplicity and low cost, as well as its ability to firmly hold one or more sheets in place even with certain perforated portions torn or wholly mutilated. Among the disadvantages, however, of these wire binders are the relative difliculty of inserting sheets in operable position, the necessity of tearing and mutilating the sheets upon detachment from such binders, and their adaptability almost exclusively to open books where the helical wire is exposed to view, thereby presenting a rather unsightly appearance. It is hence primarily within the contemplation of my invention to provide a device of this class having all the advantages of the helical wire binder, with the said disadvantages eliminated; and this objective I accomplish by employing in my invention a multiple ring arrangement, the rings being split and adapted to be separated by a simple manual manipulation, all in a manner to be more fully hereinafter described.

Cognizance is taken of other attempts in this direction, but the resulting products have generally been both weak and ineffective structurally, requiring a relatively involved manipulation in disengaging and reassembling the component parts. It is hence another of the objectives of my invention to obviate these defects, and to enable loose-leaf sheets to be readily inserted and withdrawn from a book provided with a multiple ring arrangement of rigid structure and of simple and inexpensive design.

Other objects, features and advantages will ap- 40 pear from the drawing and the description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary planvie'w of an open loose-leaf book containing a preferred form 45 of this invention, the rings being shown closed.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the rings in their'separated positions.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of my invention taken substantially along line 3-3 of Figure 1, sheet inserts being shown in place.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of Figure 2 taken substantially along line 4-4, sheet inserts being shown in place.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective of a portion of the invention of Figure 1.: I

Figure 6 isa'fragmentary plan of an open loose-leaf book provided with a modified form of my invention, the split rings being shown in their closed positions.

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure 6, the elements being shown in their open positions. I

Figure 8 is a. transverse section of Figure '7 taken along line 88.

In the drawing, the loose-leaf covers 2!] and 2| are joined by the middle portion 22 in conventional manner. In the form illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, there are three longitudinally disposed bars-the lowermost or longitudinally movable bar .23 actuated by manual manipulation in a manner to be hereinafter set forth, and the two 1 ring-carrying bars 24 and 25 respectively, these being movable laterally or at right angles to their lengths, upon a manipulation'of the said bar 23, to open or close the split rings carried thereby, as will be hereinafter set forth. The intermediate bar, that is, the lower of said ring-carrying bars, identified as 24, carries a plurality of ring segments 26, the uppermost bar 25 carrying a plurality of corresponding ring segments 2 both sets of segments being adapted for abuttable engagement to form closed rings in conventional manner. The said intermediate bar 24, being on a lower level than bar 25, is also provided, in the preferred form illustrated, with tongues or extensions 28 in overlapping relation to the said uppermost bar 25. It is apparent that the said bars 24 and 25, together with their respective ring segments and tongues, can be readily fabricated .by conventional stamping methods, thereby enabling the essential elements of this invention to be producedat a low cost.

The upper ringlcarrying bar 25 is provided with a plurality of parallel elongated slots 29, and the intermediate bar 24 is provided with a corresponding plurality of elongated slots 36, both sets of slots being diagonally disposed with respect to' the longitudinal axis of said bars, but in intersecting and oppositely disposed relation. In the form of my invention illustrated, the slots 29 and 38 form equal angles with the longitudinal axis of the bars, and are of equal Widths, and preferably of equal lengths. It is t hus apparent that adjacent and cooperating slots on the bars 24 and 25 are so disposed with respect to each other, that overlapping portions thereof (substantially equal to the transverse width of the slots) will always be in registry with each other. Extending through 'e'ach'set of said overlapping and intersectin'g'slots 29 and 30 is a rivet,3l the head 32 of which is suitably anchored and afiixed'to said lower bar 23, the top of each rivet containing a head 33 overlapping the slot 29 and in slidable engagement with the adjacent upper surface of bar 25. The shank of each rivet 25 is slidable engagement with the walls of slots 29 and 3G.

The upper bar 25 has, in the particular design illustrated, two transverse slots 34 extending from the right edge 35 towards the left a distance more than one-half the width of said bar; and the intermediate bar 24 has two corresponding transverse slots 39 extending from the left edge thereof towards the right, both sets of corresponding slots being in registry. The bottom bar 23 contains two corresponding longitudinal slots 31 intersecting said transverse slots and extending at right angles thereto. The three slots are so arranged that there is at all times an opening extending through the three bars at the region of said transverse and longitudinal slots; and through these openings are positioned the rivets 39, these extending through the middle portion 22 of the book to which the lower head 40 of each rivet is securely affixed. The upper head 4| is secured to the upper surface of the rest 42 which, in the preferred form illustrated, contains the two flanges 43 and 44 serving as auxiliary stops to limit the lateral movement of the bars 24 and 25. It is obvious that the width of said rest 42 is substantially equal to the combined width across said bars 24 and 25 in their outwardly projected positions, as indicated in Figure l. The assembly of the said three bars and associated parts is thus held secured to the book by means of said rivets 39. The shank of each rivet 39 is in slidable engagement with the walls of said transverse slots 34 and 36, and longitudinal slots 31.

In considering the operation of this device, let us assume that the rings are in closed position, as shown in Figures'l, 3 and 5. The upturned end 45 of bar 23 is then grasped and the bar pulled outwardly in the direction of the arrow. This manipulation will cause the shank of each rivet 3| to engage the oppositely sloping adjacent walls of the slots 29 and 30, thereby applying an outward pressure thereagainst and causing an outward lateral movement of the ringcarrying bars 24 and 25. The rivets 39, being in slidable engagement with the transverse slots 34 and 36 of the said bars 24 and 25, serve to maintain the said two bars in proper relative position, holding them against any longitudinal movement,--the ultimate positions of said bars being controlled by the terminal walls of the transverse slots 34 and 36, and by the flanges 43 and 44 as aforesaid. A longitudinal movement of bar 23 is at all times permitted due to the longitudinal disposition of the slots 31. To cause a return of the parts to their retracted and closed positions, the bar 23 is pushed inwardly causing a reversal of the forces and the consequent inward movement of the bars 24 and 25 until the ring segments thereon are brought into closed engagement.

It is thus apparent that by a simple manual manipulation, the ring segments 26 and 21 can be either separated to the positions shown in Figures 2 and 4, or brought into their closed positions as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5. Obviously when in their open positions, the sheets 43 can be readily inserted in place, or removed from the book without any mutilation. Thus the entire structure contains the advantages of the popular helical wire binders without the aforementioned disadvantages.

It will further be noted that the flat rests 42 serve still a further purpose,that of always keeping the innermost edges of the sheet inserts above the level of the movable bars 24 and 25, thereby assuring a smooth operation of this device. This action is further assured by the tongues 28 which are positioned substantially at the same level as the said rests 42.

A slightly modified form of the structure hereinabove described is illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8 which disclose an additional uppermost bar or plate 41 extending completely across the length of the bars 24a and 25a,--thus presenting a structure with four bars. The said plate 4'! serves the same purpose as the rests 42 and tongues 28, but being a unitary part eliminates the necessity of having a plurality of separate elements 42 and tongues 28. The plate 41 contains a plurality of recessed portions 48 adapted to accommodate the cooperating ring segments 49 and 50. 29a and 38a and rivets 31a are similar in general construction and function to the analogous parts hereinabove described, and hence a further description of their action will not be repeated.

It is of course understood that the various embodiments above described and shown in the drawing are illustrative of my invention and not employed by way of limitation, inasmuch as numerous changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a loose-leaf book, a pair of covers joined by a middle portion, two overlapping bars extending longitudinally along said middle portion, each of said bars carrying thereon a plurality of correspondingly spaced cooperable ring segments, each of said bars being movable, upon manual manipulation, laterally with respect to the other whereby said ring segments may be operably separated and brought together, spaced sets of cooperable slotted portions on said bars at all times in partial registry, a member extending through each of said sets and engageable with the walls thereof, said slotted portions and said member constituting guide means to direct the said bar movement laterally and maintain the bars at all times in parallel and overlapping relation, sheet rest means positioned above the level of the uppermost of said bars whereupon sheet inserts may rest, whereby said inserts may be kept out of engagement with said bars during the operative movement thereof, and means for securing said bars to the middle portion, said sheetrest means including plate means, the width of which is substantially equal to the combined width of said bars when in their extreme open position, said plate means having downwardly extending flanges adapted to engage and limit the outward lateral movement of said bars.

2. In a loose-leaf book, a pair of covers joined by a middle portion, two overlapping bars ex tending longitudinally along said middle portion.

The slots each of said bars carrying thereon a plurality of correspondingly spaced cooperable ring segments, each of said bars being movable, upon manual manipulation, laterally with respect to the other whereby said ring segments may be operably separated and brought together, spaced sets of cooperable slotted portions on said bars at all times in partial registry, a member extending through each of said sets and engageable with the walls thereof, said slotted portions and said member constituting guide means to direct the said bar movement laterally and maintain the bars at all times in parallel and overlapping relation, sheet rest means adapted to support sheet inserts operatively positioned within the rings of the book, said means comprising a plurality of spaced tongue elements extending up from the lower of said ring-carrying bars and transversely above and in overlapping relation to the upper of said bars and a plurality of rest plates positioned above the level of the uppermost of said bars and substantially equal in width to that of both ring-carrying bars when in their open position, said plates having downwardly extending flanges adapted to engage and limit the outward lateral movement of said bars, and rivet members holding said plates in fixed relation to the said middle portion of the book, the said bars containing additional slotted portions through which said rivet members extened to permit the operative movement of the bars.

3. In a loose-leaf book, a pair of covers joined by a middle portion, two overlapping bars extending longitudinally along said middle portion, each of said bars carrying thereon a plurality of correspondingly spaced cooperable ring segments, each of said bars being movable, upon manual manipulation, laterally with respect to the other whereby said ring segments may be operably separated and brought together, spaced sets of cooperable slotted portions on said bars at all times in partial registry, a member extending through each of said sets and engageable with the walls thereof, said slotted portions and said member constituting guide means to direct the said bar movement laterally and maintaian the bars at all times in parallel and overlapping relation, sheet rest means adapted to support sheet inserts operatively positioned within the rings 01' the book, said means consisting of a plate positioned upon the upper of said bars and extending longitudinally thereof, said plate containing recessed portions along the length thereof to accommodate said ring segments, and having downwardly extending flanges adapted to engage and limit the outward lateral movement of said bars, and means to hold said plate in fixed relation to the middle portion of the book.

ABRAHAM M. RABINOF. 

